Chief Minister Adenan Satem said the state government “is beginning to make money from the dam, the biggest in Southeast Asia, which started operating in 2011”.
“The state is not only making money from oil royalty, but now making money from its water royalty,” he told a press conference here Wednesday.
On the decision to cancel the construction of the Baram Dam, Adenan said there was no need for Sarawak to have another huge dam.
“We can build a mini dam for local use but not a big dam like Baram Dam,” he said, adding that the Sarawak-Peninsular Malaysia underwater electricity cable project had also been cancelled.
To a question on the abolition last March of quit rent in regard to local councils’ revenue, Adenan replied: “We have calculated it all.
“The local councils receive grants from the state government and are also being subsidised. That is where we do adjustments for the benefit of people.”
He also slammed PKR incumbent for Ba’kelalan, Baru Bian, for taking credit on the decision made by the state government to suspend the proposed Ulu Trusan forest reserve project in Lawas.
Adenan said the decision was made after he received a letter from BN Lawas MP Henry Sum Agong expressing the Lun Bawang community’s request on the matter.
“Baru Bian claimed credit for it. I was the one who made the decision. He did write to me to mention it, but I dismissed the letter as a political ploy.
“When Henry Sum wrote about it, I took it rather seriously. Not on request of Baru Bian but community leaders and the Member of Parliament. Please don’t claim credit when it is not due.”
He also ticked off PKR candidate for Layar, Vernon Kedit, for his statement three days ago claiming that several “tuai rumah” in the area were against the native customary rights (NCR) land perimeter boundary survey.
“In fact he lied. When we checked with the tuai rumah, they are against him,” he said, adding “if the tuai rumah were against the survey, they could return the proposal to the government and to date, none has been returned”.
– BERNAMA